January 2, 2019 Accent on Worship Pastor Joseph Crippen Sunday Readings January 6, 2019 Epiphany of Our Lord Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 January 13, 2019 Baptism of Our Lord Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Whither this year? We begin a new calendar year this week, arbitrarily choosing one day of 365 to be the beginning. As always, this leads us to think about what s ahead. Given the struggles of 2018 we witnessed, the deep problems in our democracy and in our nation s relationship with the world, the tragedies of human life that are so preventable but that seem to inspire little leadership to prevent, the destruction of the creation,... the list goes on; so, given these things, wondering what this next year will bring can be fraught with anxiety. I ve been pondering these words this week: Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work. Neither are you free to abandon it. (Rabbi Rami Shapiro) Our daughter Hannah made a beautiful calligraphed version of this for me for Christmas, but these words have been a companion to me for some time now. I commend them to you as we begin 2019, because here is deep wisdom. There is much about which we can be anxious, much we dread. There is also beauty and grace and compassion. Wherever you look, you can see the whole spectrum of life from joy to sorrow, from despair to hope. And as God s people in Christ, we see the world and feel a deep calling to our role as Christ in it. We long to know what we can do. And sometimes, we re overwhelmed, daunted by the enormity of it all. So, the rabbi says, don t let it daunt you. Just do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. There is no way we can fix everything this year. But that doesn t mean we do nothing. We simply follow Christ today, and watch for where we are needed, and then act. Tomorrow, if it comes, we do the same. And we trust that in the arms of the Triune God the creation, and our place in it, are safe and loved and cared for. While we do the work we are not free to abandon, with trust and hope in the God who loves us. In Christ,, January 2, 2019 page 1
Sunday Adult Forums Sunday, January 6, 2019: No forum this day. Forums resume on Sunday, January 13. Thank you, thank you! Many thanks to the people of Mount Olive for the generous Christmas gifts we received, and for all your kindness and support throughout the year! You are Christ to us in so many ways, and we are deeply grateful for you in our lives. Blessings and peace to you all in this new year in God s care! The staff of Mount Olive: David Cherwien, Joseph Crippen, Cha Posz, Anna Scott, and James Wilkes. National Lutheran Choir Winter Concert Recording: Carols We Love to Sing Carry on the Christmastime cheer, and join the National Lutheran Choir s live concert recording of Carols We Love to Sing, third in the popular Hymns We Love to Sing CD series. Audience members will have the opportunity to both listen to National Lutheran Choir perform special arrangements of carols and participate in the recording session by singing along to popular congregational hymns. Saint John Passion: An In-Depth Look A six-week presentation about J. S. Bach s St. John Passion will be held on Monday evenings, Jan. 14- Feb. 18, beginning at 6:30 pm, at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection (3115 Victoria St. N. in Roseville). Workshop participants will listen, study, and discuss this very important work. Presentation leaders are Prof. Paul Westermeyer and Chaplain John Setterlund. Cost for this 6-week series is $20. For details and registration information, please contact Rachel Wright either by email to rwright@lcrelca.org, or by phone at 651-484-1292. Sunday, February 10, 4:00pm St. Michael s Lutheran Church 9201 Normandale Boulevard Bloomington, MN 55437 Tickets: Adult $28 Senior $26 Students and Children FREE For tickets and more information, please visit NLCA.com/18-19season or call (612) 722-2301., January 2, 2019 page 2
Calendar Wednesday, January 2, 2019 10:00 am Staff Meeting 7:00 pm Cantorei rehearsal 8:00 pm Narcotics Anonymous Saturday, January 5 11:00 am Diaper Depot open Noon Community Meal 1-3 pm Prayer Shawl Group meets at Blackeye Roasting Co. Sunday, January 6 Epiphany of Our Lord 8:00 am Holy Eucharist, followed by coffee & conversation 9:30 am Sunday Church School 10:45 am Holy Eucharist, followed by coffee & conversation Noon Theological Discussion group Monday, January 7 7:00 pm Narcotics Anonymous Tuesday, January 8 Noon Bible Study 4-6 pm Diaper Depot open 7:00 pm National Lutheran Choir rehearsal Wednesday, January 9 10:00 am Staff Meeting 7:00 pm Cantorei rehearsal 8:00 pm Narcotics Anonymous Funeral Arrangements Funeral arrangements for Truman Jeffers, father of Lisa and Lynn Ruff, are as follows: Memorial service this Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 11 am, preceded by a visitation at 9:30 am at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1900 7 th St. NW, New Brighton, MN 55112. Memorials preferred to Christ the King Lutheran Church or the Minnesota Orchestra. Missing A 2-step step stool is missing from the church office work room. Did you borrow it and forget to put it back? Please contact the church office if you know where it is, or simply put it back as soon as possible. It is needed and used there. Thanks! Book Discussion The Book Discussion Group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10 am in the West Assembly Area. All readers welcome! For the January 12 meeting they will read A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles, and for February 9, Middlemarch, by George Eliot. RIC Worship Service This annual service will be held on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 4:30 pm, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (700 S. Snelling Ave. in St. Paul). All are invited to come together with the other 42 Reconciling in Christ congregations for this annual worship service. Choir Parents Reminder Children s Choir rehearsals resume on Wednesday, January 16., January 2, 2019 page 3
MINISTRY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN 2018 SERVICE IS OUR SPECIALTY: The Community Meal served hundreds of neighbors on the 1 st & 3 rd Saturday, teams served dinner at Our Saviours Housing each month, and groups brought Meals on Wheels to the elderly weekly. The Summer ACTS groups served at multiple sites across the city and the youth involved learned about responsibility and life skills. A dedicated team packed backpacks with food at Jefferson Community School for the Sheridan Story to help end childhood food insecurity. The Diaper Depot served 470 clients with 2,829 packs of diapers. Groups served meals and donated funds and goods to the Franklin/ Hiawatha homeless encampment. Bargain Box and partnering with ACE in the City gave us ways to support the youth and families as they went back to school. The other ways YOU used your hands and hearts to serve others. STEWARDSHIP The Direct Care program helped 147 neighbors with needs such as rent, laundry vouchers, and bus cards, giving away around $8,000. You gave generously with funds and gifts for Hiawatha, Ace in the City, and LSS Refugee services for the holiday season. ADVOCACY IS HOW WE SHARE OUR VOICE Mount Olive used its voice to address the problems of sex trafficking in our neighborhood and the need for a faith-based response. We were part of a large event hosted by LSS to draw attention to the problem, especially around the Super Bowl. A team went to the Capitol during the JRLC Day on the Hill to speak up for families with children, immigrants, and to continue to make MN a better place. The Longer Table Lending team worked to create a program to offer no-interest loans to people who need a safe financial option to get through an emergency. Planning to launch early 2019! NEW PATHS AND FAMILIAR ONES FOR 2019 Though my personal involvement as the Coordinator of Neighborhood Outreach and Ministry is soon coming to a close (late February-ish), I am so hopeful and excited to see what someone with fresh eyes and a creative heart can bring to this amazing position. There is so much potential for goodness when it comes to loving and serving a community, whether it s within these walls, out on the street, amongst friends or passersby. Continue in the work of being and recognizing the presence of God that flows among and between us. At Mount Olive there is no shortage of ways to connect and share in time, talent, or care. Keep an eye on the Olive Branch, Facebook, or the kiosk in the West Assembly for new learning and service opportunities. See something you want to be involved in? Call or email Anna Scott 612-827-5919 or neighborhood@mountolivechurch.org OR speak with a member of the Neighborhood Ministries Committee for information and to do God s work with your hands., January 2, 2019 page 4
Marking Epiphany in the Home January 6 is the Festival of the Epiphany, when the Western church remembers the coming of three sages from the East to welcome the Christ child. This was the heralding of the coming of the Christ for all people, all nations. One family or community tradition for celebrating Epiphany is to make a Kings cake. Any pound cake or Bundt cake with three almonds hidden inside will work. Whoever finds the almonds in their slice of cake becomes Queen or King for the day, and does secret kindnesses for the others in the household. In France, the day is celebrated with a a cake called Galette des Rois (https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019114-galette-des-rois ), in Spain, with Roscon, and in Mexico, Rosca des Reyes. Here is one recipe: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/threekings-cake-rosca-de-reyes-or-roscand242n-de-reyes-recipe. To prepare your home for Epiphany consider making straw stars or folding origami stars (look online for simple instructtions) and hanging them from the ceiling or windows. Make one star larger than the others. Hang it in a central place, or over your creche. If you have a creche with free-standing figures, move the three sages to the stable. Or light many candles, to celebrate the Light of the World. Another old tradition for Epiphany is the blessing of the home. With a piece of chalk, mark the year, the letters C M B and four crosses above the lintel of the doorway into the household [20 + C + M + B + 19]. The letters stand both for the traditional names of the three sages (Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar) and also for the words, Christus Mansionem Benedicat, May Christ bless this house, which are said as the lintel is inscribed. The following prayer may be said: God of heaven and earth, you revealed the Christ to all nations by the guidance of a star. Bless this home and all who dwell in it. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our love for each other may go out into the world for all. In Christ's name we pray, Amen. For more on Epiphany, go to http://fullhomelydivinity.org, click on Traditions and in the left sidebar, click on Epiphany. Race, Religion, Response: An Evening with Jim Wallis Saturday, January 12, 7 p.m. Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Ave., Minneapolis. Jim Wallis is president and founder of Sojourners in Washington DC, a non-profit faith-based organization, network, and movement whose mission statement calls for putting faith into action for social justice. His latest book is America's Original Sin: White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America. Jim will give keynote presentation and panel discussion for this event. Tickets ($40/each and includes a copy of the book) are available now on Hennepin's Facebook page: HennepinAvenueUMC., January 2, 2019 page 5
O Magnum Mysterium Artwork by Robyn Sand Anderson on Display at Mount Olive During the remainder of the Mount Olive s advent and during the Christmas and Epiphany season we will have a beautiful art piece on loan from the artist Robyn Sand Anderson. Robyn is an artist from southwest Minnesota. We became aware of her work through the National Lutheran Choir s use of her artworks which they are incorporating into each of their concerts during the 2018-19 season. O Magnum Mysterium was featured on the cover of the NLC s recent Christmas Festival program. Robyn s current works come out of her response to listening to classical choral music. If you go to Robyn s website: http://www.robynsandanderson.com, under the Interpreting Music with Color tab, you can view O Magnum Mysterium and other images and click on a recording of the choral music that inspired that particular artwork. We are planning a more extensive exhibition of Robyn s works to be on display at Mount Olive this coming April and May., January 2, 2019 page 6
Mount Olive Lutheran Church 3045 Chicago Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55407 A congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Sunday Eucharist: 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. Contact Us Phone: 612-827-5919 On the Web: mountolivechurch.org Staff Pastor Joseph Crippen Cantor David Cherwien Coordinator of Neighborhood Outreach and Ministry Anna Scott Administrative Assistant Cha Posz Sexton James Wilkes Mount Olive is a Reconciling in Christ congregation. In This Issue: Accent on Worship Pastor Joseph Crippen A Note of Thanks From Your Church Staff Neighborhood Ministries Year in Review Marking Epiphany in the Home Race, Religion, Response: An Evening with Jim Wallis (Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, Minneapolis) Saturday, January 12, January 2, 2019 page 7